Fish and Eggs: It’s What’s for Breakfast

ON a recent Saturday morning, my friend Judith and I shopped for breakfast at the farmers’ market in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. We bought eggs, butter, cheese, fresh bread and plenty of apples: the makings of a princely meal. I chattered enthusiastically about the apple French toast and scrambled eggs with cheese we could whip up back at Judith’s house.

But Judith wasn’t listening. She had stopped at the fish stand, and was staring bright-eyed at the pale fillets. What do you think about that one, she said, pointing to a thick white slab of flounder with a reddish pink blush.

It looks good, is that for tonight? I asked.

No, for this morning, she said, adding that her family often had fresh fish for breakfast when they vacationed on the North Sea in the Netherlands.

Now, I know perfectly well that fish is a breakfast staple all over the world, from the grilled fish and rice of Japan, to kippers and eggs in England, to the bagels-and-lox brunches of my own childhood.

Applying a beach-vacation philosophy of cooking, Judith simply swathed the fish in butter, salt and pepper, and stuck it under the broiler. While it cooked, I scrambled the eggs. There was nothing surprising about the flavors of the meal — the sweet, soft fish with its saline, buttery juices melding with fluffy farm fresh eggs — but eaten altogether it was divine.

I thought of Judith’s breakfast every time I passed the fishmonger at the Grand Army Plaza farmers’ market near my house. But the line there is notoriously snaking. I rarely have the patience to wait.

One frigid morning, the stand was blissfully un-mobbed, and there were flounder fillets galore. I picked up two and some free range eggs and all but ran home to make breakfast.

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I could have stuck to Judith’s gorgeously spare recipe. But leaving well enough alone isn’t my strong suit.

I kept the backbone of her recipe the same, coating the fish with plenty of butter, and seasoning it generously.

Then, for a garnish, I chopped together parsley, scallions and capers to add a tangy, bright note and a little bit of color.

I also wanted to alter the eggs. As good as the scrambled were, they required a bowl to whip them and a skillet to scramble them.

A lazier option would be to crack the eggs directly into the roasting pan with the fish, and let everything cook together. As a bonus, if I timed it right, the yolks would stay runny and gush all over the flounder, creating a velvety sauce.

I figured it would take the eggs less time to cook than the fish, so I added them after the fillets had been in the oven for a few minutes. By the time the fish turned opaque and tender in the center, the eggs were just set, sunny side up.

With its pungent green garnish adding verve and the yolks lending creaminess, it was a more complex dish than the original. It was interesting enough, even, to break out for dinner — the perfect end to a day that starts with French toast.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page D5 of the New York edition with the headline: Fish and Eggs: It’s What’s for Breakfast. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe